Leave the glove, throw the home run ball.
That’s not exactly what Peter Clemenza says in the iconic scene from The Godfather, but they would have been wise words to heed for the fan at Game 2 of the World Series who caught Will Smith’s home run ball in the sixth inning:
The fan, sporting what appears to be a puka shell necklace and demonstrating impressive spine flexibility, lets out a couple fist pumps with his right hand before inexplicably flinging his glove off of his left hand, over the fence and onto the field in the direction of Rays outfielder and ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena. Arozarena was kind enough to toss the glove back to the fan, giving this story a fairytale ending.
Fox play-by-play man Joe Buck, ever the consummate pro, delivered a strong description as the events unfolded, calling the incident “a moment of sheer ecstasy” for the fan.
Globe Life Field is the only stadium that has allowed fans in attendance this postseason, albeit in a limited capacity. Though home run balls being thrown back onto the field is a somewhat common tradition, it remains to be seen whether or not a discarded glove will catch on with the masses.
